


Safe in your arms

by roses_and_roo



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Comfort, F/F, Feelings, First Dance, Forehead Kisses, Gift Work, Heartbeats, Hugs, I need Ava to feel safe, Inspired by Music, Light Angst, Pre-Relationship, Romantic Fluff, Safe Haven, Tears, Trans Female Character, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Warm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26210011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roses_and_roo/pseuds/roses_and_roo
Summary: "You looked like you wanted the opportunity to dance earlier, Detective Black. May I have the honour?"--Detective Charlie Black is chaperoning a school dance and Ava doesn't want her going alone.
Relationships: Detective/Ava du Mortain, Female Detective/Ava du Mortain
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Charlie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skidney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skidney/gifts).



> My attempt at an Ava/F!Detective fic! Meet one of my detectives: Charlie Black (I couldn't think of a last name at the time so it's kind of a joking play off Charlie Brown, then it stuck). She's a 6'3", buff, trans lady who is a warm teddy bear, can kick ass, and I love her. 
> 
> All my love and thanks to skidney for the supportive comments and for helping me rediscover my love of writing.

**At the Detective's apartment: Charlie's perspective.**

I twist in front of the mirror, adjusting the way my dress falls, checking for the tenth time that I've tamed all the frizzing in my mane of scarlet hair, and touching up my barely smudged lipstick. I'm overdressed for my role as chaperone at the local school's summer dance; every year I sign up for a couple hours, but tonight is different because of who insisted on accompanying me.

_"A loud, crowded, and dark room like that would be ideal for a supernatural to strike before you could see them coming,"_ Ava had said. 

I've tried to quiet my excited thoughts, they yell at me that her worry is more than professional duty. I shake my head. She is clearly very distressed by the idea of having romantic feelings for me, I will not be the one to force her to confront something when I do not know her history. More than anything I want her to be comfortable around me and happy, no matter what sort of relationship we have. Still, the less rational parts of me can't keep from being eager for tonight and fussing over my appearance, wanting to look nice for her. The dress is far from anything revealing or inappropriate for the occasion, but I've never worn anything like it around her and I'm curious what she'll think.

There's a knock on my door and I hurry to answer it, nervous butterflies erupting in my stomach. Ava's looking absolutely lovely in a ocean blue, satiny, semi-formal jumpsuit flowing under a structured, onyx blazer. Her posture is as stiff and formal as ever, always straining to stay aware of everything at once; everything's a potential threat. When her icy gaze falls on me it melts into something warmer and the tight strain of her shoulders eases almost imperceptibly. 

"Good evening, Detective." 

Her voice instantly has my butterflies fluttering giddily and my smile widens. 

"Good evening, Agent." 

I step out and lock the door behind me, Ava immediately begins to march down the hall and I follow after her. Something glints on her shoulder and I reach out to pluck it from the cloth. Her head snaps quickly towards me, brow raised. I smile apologetically for startling her, offering up the hitchhiker: a black sequin. She glares at it. 

"Felix is trying to make a craft room," she groans as explanation, "I've been finding those all over the Warehouse."

The mental image--all too easy to picture when it comes to Felix--has me throwing my head back with a deep laugh. Her eyes flash to my neck then away, so quickly I almost miss it, and she clears her throat.

"We'll be late," she manages and walks ahead. I hurry to catch up.

**Outside the school: Charlie's perspective**

"This will be unpleasant for you, I'm sorry," I sigh, guilt twisting in my stomach as I pull into the parking lot. I swear I can already hear the pounding beat of the music from here.

"I'll be fine," she assures me, frowning at my concerned expression. I gently catch her wrist as she turns to get out of the car.

"Will you tell me if it gets too painful? Please," I release my grip and her frown deepens as I do, so I leave my hand resting lightly over hers. "I respect your dedication to my safety, so I will not ask you to leave me ungarded. Just talk to me and I will leave with you, alright?"

Ava hesitates, expression stoic and unreadable, and glances down at our hands. 

"Understood," she finally responds, sliding her hand from mine with barely perceptible reluctance. 

Ava rounds the car and meets me as I step out into the warm evening air. I try to contain my pleasant surprise when I notice that she's offering her arm.

"Thank you," my voice cracks a little and I loop my arm through hers. "I should dress up for you more often." 

Her startled laugh rings through the evening air before I can register what I've just said aloud. She flashes me a soft, affectionate smile, rare and private and meant only for my eyes. 

"That is not necessary," Ava sighs and looks away, I'm willingly pulled along as we make our way towards the entrance, guided by the path of colourful balloons. Her voice is quiet when she continues, making her words a challenge for me to hear, but I am determined to catch every one. "Though you _do_ look beautiful tonight. You always do."

We stop in front of the entrance and Ava turns to look up at me, looking pained. She slowly lifts her hand to comb her fingers through an already tangled lock of my hair, smoothing it back behind my ear. I shiver, closing my eyes. 

"There is no need for you to wear a pretty dress to draw my attention. You are... overwhelmingly, magnificently _distracting_ ," she makes a choked, defeated noise in the back of her throat. "Despite my best efforts, I cannot keep my eyes from finding you whenever you're near, Charlie."

"Ava-" My chest aches. 

A slamming door from the parking lot jolts us back the the present, both of us springing back from each other and hastily putting back up a mask of professionalism.

"We'd better get inside, Agent."

"Agreed, Detective." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: Would it really be one of my Wayhaven fics without some music?  
> Make You Feel My Love, by Adele  
> "I know you haven't made your mind up yet  
> But I will never do you wrong  
> I've known it from the moment that we met  
> No doubt in my mind where you belong"
> 
> Run to You, Lea Michele  
> "Let's set fire to the lonely night  
> You're beautiful when you look at me  
> Let's give love another life  
> Cause you'll be safe in these arms of mine  
> Just call my name on the edge of the night  
> And I'll run to you, I'll run to you"


	2. Ava

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene was inspired by some of my own experiences of feeling safe for the first time in a long time, I wanted to give Ava that experience because she's so hypervigilant and on edge and it hurts my heart.

**Later, in the school entryway: Ava's perspective**

Ava's head is pounding in time with the booming music by the time they're leaving, though the ache is more manageable than she had expected it to be. Whenever the noise level in the room swelled she'd only have to search the room to find Charlie's warm brown eyes--crinkled slightly with concern--already seeking hers in return, and her headache would ease.

It's good that Ava had found no potential threats during her initial sweeps because she'd been frustratingly unproductive the rest of the evening. _I'm simply thrown off because she's wearing something so impractical and she appears more vulnerable to attack._ Its a weak excuse at best, but Ava refuses to allow herself to consider the alternative. 

Charlie's long red hair--usually pulled back into a tight French braid--pours over her shoulders, caressing her neck, and falling down to the small of her back. For the hundredth time tonight, Ava finds her gaze lingering. The yellow dress Charlie wears suite her, and more than just physically. The bright, sunny colour reflects her personality: quietly radiating joy and life on anyone fortunate to stand in her light. 

"Doing alright?" Charlie rests one of her large hands over Ava's shoulder, strong and grounding. 

Ava nods, earning her a warm smile that has her stomach fluttering. Memories of the evening flashing through her mind: Charlie grinning brightly at the joy on all the teens' faces, Charlie checking in with Ava like clockwork throughout the evening so she would not worry, Charlie swaying subtly on the spot and staring off into space with a wistful smile when a slow song played. _Charlie_...

Being away from her Unit and the Agency is making it difficult for Ava to remember why she must not allow her emotions to get away from her. _The evening is almost over_ \--she ignores the way her chest constricts with dissapointmenet-- _I can refocus and rid myself of these thoughts once I've returned to the Warehouse._

Charlie straightens now, finished lacing herself back into her more comfortable sneakers for the drive home. She turns to Ava and pauses, head tilting in confusion (somehow even that simple movement filled with kindness and compasion). Its not until Charlie clears her throat gently that Ava realises she is blocking the exit. The music in the background slows. 

"You looked like you wanted the opportunity to dance earlier, Detective Black," Ava steps forwards, offering her hand. _What am I doing?!_ "May I have the honour?" 

"The honour would be mine, Agent du Mortain," Charlie responds, delight radiating from her surprised smile. 

Ava tries to ignore the happy tingling in her nerves as their hands join, focusing on reaching up to place a hand on her partner's broad shoulder. Charlie pauses for a moment, eyes searching her face (for a sign of hesitation?), before resting her free hand on Avas waist. _Gentleness, patience, acceptance: why must Charlie exquisitely embody every one of these qualities in all that she does?_ The touch is only feather-light at first, but it's enough to have her heart squeezing with affection, so strongly it's almost painful.

_One moment of surrender, only one_. To provide Ava's mind a little tranquility, surely that cannot be such a gargantuan error that she'll be unable to correct it later? _Please. Please, just this once,_ a quiet voice begs from the back of her mind. Ava let's out a slow breath and feels the iron wall around her heart (which had been threatening to crumble for months now) cautiously lower, inch by inch. 

Ava's certain she knows the steps to a multitude of more complex dances than this, however her foolishly romantic heart sees no point in shifting her focus away from Charlie to bother trying to recall them. There's something so pleasantly _intimate_ about the simplicity of merely swaying in Charlie's tender embrace. Ava's tense muscles ease as she presses her ear to Charlie's chest, her familiar heartbeat washing over her weary body like a soothing melody. The arm around her waist tightens and Charlie rests her head atop Ava's, sighing contently. 

Ava has long since forgotten what it means to feel at peace, so the emotions coursing through her feel strange and foreign. Realistically this body engulfing hers--though strong for a human--could not protect her from anything that Ava could not deal with herself... So how could Charlie be making her feel (dare she even think it) secure? The thought should scare her, should ring the warning bells in her head, but all Ava can feel is Charlie and her heartbeat: comforting, steady, constant. _When was the last time I felt so very... small?_ Not in a way that is powerless and vulnerable, instead one that allows her to simply _be_ , to believe she's safe whether she were strong or not. The first drop of scalding liquid that runs down Ava's cheek startles her. She squeezes her eyes shut defiantly, ebbing the trickle of tears. 

The song ends and fear courses through Ava and she buries her her face into the fabric of Charlie's dress, willing reality to stay at bay. _Will I have to let her go?_ No. Charlie is still here, holding Ava securely. 

"Thank you for keeping me safe, Ava," Charlie whispers into her hair, voice rough with unspoken emotion. 

Warm lips press to Ava's forehead and she moves her hand to tangle her fingers in Charlie's hair, keeping her close. _Just this once..._ Ava does not bother to keep track of how long she clings to Charlie, soaking her in.

"Always, Charlie." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm practically making myself cry over here, Wayhaven stuff makes me so friggin emotional ugh. 
> 
> I hope I've come even halfway close to doing Ava justice. ❤
> 
> Update: ~Music~  
> Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine  
> "And the arms of the ocean are carrying me  
> And all this devotion was rushing out of me  
> And the crashes are heaven for a sinner like me  
> But the arms of the ocean delivered me"
> 
> Surrender by Natalie Taylor  
> "I needed you to stay  
> But I let you drift away  
> My love where are you?  
> Whenever you're ready, whenever you're ready  
> Can we, can we surrender?  
> I surrender"


End file.
